Art consultants may mean different things to different people. For collectors, art consultants are people who help them shop for art. They know the art market well and can help to build a good collection. Consultants do not work with artists directly, but buy art through the galleries they have relationships with, or at major auctions. Their primary goal is to build collections that have value as short or long term investments. They work for private collectors and buy from galleries, auctions and fairs.

Consultant as Dealer

The other type of art consultant is one you can work with directly, who sells work to clients that range from homeowners to hospitals, corporations and hotels. Some consultants specialize in a specific area. There is also an overlap with interior designers. Some designers find their own artwork, while others look to interior art consultants for a selection of possible work.

Hotels and the Private Sector

For the purposes of this book, we are focusing on consultants who sell to corporations, hotels, and the private sector. Depending on how much of an entrepreneur you are, you can either work with art consultants to develop an income stream, or you can become one yourself and sell the works of other artists. I mention this option because once you get the idea of how to work this particular field and establish connections, you could do business with several artists with little extra effort, because you are contacting the same people you’ve already started relationships with.